Boeing has made more than 10,000 of commercial planes in the air, and in the past few years, it has become glaringly apparent the company prioritizes profits over safety. Now that people know the truth, Boeing has to make big changes, including hiring a new CEO. 

However, things started to go south for the aviation conglomerate in 2019 when not one but two of its planes crashed due to malfunctioning flight control software. 

The first flight, operated by Lion Air, crashed in Indonesia with 189 people on board, while the second tragedy occurred only six months later when an Ethiopian Airlines flight plummeted with 157 victims. 

Some argued that Boeing deliberately concealed the software issues from airline safety organizations to ensure its planes were still chosen by commercial airlines. However, while Boeing has admitted it was their fault the planes crashed, it has assured the world it never intentionally sent planes out with faulty programming. 

Therefore, in 2020, the company removed its CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, from his post and instated one of its board members, Dave Calhoun. 

He promised everyone at that time that he would not only “rebuild trust” but also improve the company’s “safety culture” right away. 

On an Alaskan Airlines flight, an entire door of the Boeing airplane flew off just seven minutes after takeoff, leaving a gaping hole. Terrifying winds ripped through the plane, and while no one was hurt, videos of the incident show extreme panic among the hundreds of passengers. 

After that, many people started to wonder if Calhoun had done anything at all during his three years as CEO to refocus the company’s priorities from profits to safety or if it was all a big lie.

The FAA reported “multiple instances where the companies failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.” Additionally, it noted there were signs that staff were unlikely to report problems due to a disconnect between the workers and senior management. 

CEO Dave Calhoun announced his resignation last week. He said the accident was a “watershed moment” and that while “the eyes of the world are on us, and I know that we will come through this moment a better company,” it won’t be with himself at the helm. 

While Boeing hasn’t announced who will replace Calhoun at the end of the year, they have reported that Stephanie Pope will take over as head of Boeing’s commercial airline division, and Steve Mollenkopf will be the new chairman. 

As Ed Pierson, executive director at the Foundation of Aviation Safety, explained, “The company deserves much better leadership, and the people who get on these airplanes deserve much better leadership.”